The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its preliminary report into a fatal light plane crash at Shellharbour Airport, finding no mechanical faults in the aircraft. The crash, which occurred shortly after take-off on the October long weekend, killed pilot Andrew Connors, his wife Julianne Connors, and their friend Colin McLaughlin.
The private charter was bound for Bathurst in the New South Wales Central West. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the crash was witnessed by multiple people, including local Rural Fire Service crew members conducting a training exercise at the airport. The aircraft only stayed airborne for a number of seconds.
Flying conditions were clear with a desired take-off headwind of about 12 knots. The take-off speed was around 61 knots, but the aircraft then pitched steeply, considerably more than a normal performance take-off, and yawed to the left.
The aircraft, a Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance, was built in 1975 and first registered in Australia in 1985. It had clocked about 3,800 service hours as of its last inspection in May. The pilot, Andrew Connors, was experienced with more than 1,000 flying hours, including about 27 hours in the aircraft he died in.
Commissioner Mitchell stated that the pilot's seat was in the correct position, and the aircraft was well serviced with no obvious mechanical issues during take-off. Power was being delivered to the propeller, flaps were in the correct setting, and the stabiliser trim was set slightly to nose-up with normal rudder trim.
The investigation is ongoing and could take up to a year to determine a cause. Further examination of recorded data, aircraft documentation, recovered components, and pilot medical records and qualifications is needed. No line of inquiry has been ruled out, but the plane's steep pitch will be the investigators' main focus.
